Notre Dame leaves USC hurting on inside

SOUTH BEND, IND. – The players left cold and frustrated. Those who couldn’t walk, limped. Some were on the verge of tears. It probably would have hurt less if USC didn’t have so many missed opportunities.

In the end, the Trojans didn’t make the plays. They didn’t have the firepower. In their shared opinion, they didn’t get the calls. USC needed one second-half touchdown, one big play, and it never arrived as the Trojans lost to Notre Dame, 14-10, on Saturday night in front of 80,795 at Notre Dame Stadium.

USC lost at Notre Dame for the first time since 2001.

“It’s frustrating,” offensive tackle Kevin Graf said. “We have a lot of guys really upset. Me, this is my senior year, the last time I get to be at this place. It’s definitely very upsetting. I would do anything to go back out on that field and change the outcome of that game. Unfortunately, I have to live with this.”

For years, maybe decades, they’ll think about the plays that got away, and ponder how an offense that looked so strong early in the first quarter looked completely ineffective just a couple hours later.

On their first drive, the Trojans (4-3) marched 96 yards and took a 7-0 lead. In the second half, they totaled 121 yards, including 14 rushing yards. In eight second-half drives, they totaled four first downs.

“This one is just killing me. I’m trying to hide it,” quarterback Cody Kessler said. “I wanted this, and we wanted this as a team, so bad for this coaching staff. They worked so hard for us, and they put everything into it.”

USC’s defense shut out Notre Dame in the second half -- helped, without question, by a third-quarter neck injury to quarterback Tommy Rees -- but the offense couldn’t overcome the 14-10 halftime deficit.

Starting late in the third quarter, the Trojans started three consecutive drives in Notre Dame territory (at the 33, the 48 and the 34). The results? A punt, a missed field goal and a turnover on downs. On the last of those drives, USC had three offensive-line penalties that left them seething.

Handed the ball at the Notre Dame 34, after Su’a Cravens recovered a fumble by tailback Cam McDaniel -- forced by Hayes Pullard -- USC got to the Notre Dame 27, then backed up. Max Tuerk took a holding penalty. Aundrey Walker took a holding penalty. Chad Wheeler got called for a false start.

“I think we had seven holding penalties and they didn’t have one,” Graf said. “A lot of our guys were pretty (upset) about those calls. It will be interesting to see what the film says.”

The game still wasn’t over. USC got the ball back at its own 25 with 1:35 remaining, and two completions by quarterback Cody Kessler got the ball to the Notre Dame 36. Then, Kessler threw incomplete twice to reserve tight end Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick, who also false-started on another play.

On fourth and 8 at the Notre Dame 41, receiver Nelson Agholor dropped Kessler’s pass, but Agholor seemingly would have been short of the first down anyway.

Kessler completed 20 of 34 attempts for 201 yards, no touchdowns and one interception. Silas Redd rushed 19 times for 112 yards. Nelson Agholor had six receptions for 89 yards. Those aren’t stellar numbers, and that’s why USC can’t simply point to questionable officiating.

They can point to an offensive line that broke down in the second half, to an offense that went 2 for 13 on third-down attempts, to a touchdown that Marqise Lee dropped before he left with a knee injury.

They can even, perhaps, blame play calling. Tied 7-7 in the second quarter, USC called a “Wildcat” play for tailback Javorius Allen on third and goal at the Notre Dame 3. Allen, who hadn’t run such a play all season, lost a yard, and the Trojans settled for three points instead of seven.

Then, trailing 14-10 with 9:25 left in the fourth quarter, and facing fourth and 5 at the Notre Dame 28, USC opted for a 46-yard field goal that Andre Heidari missed badly. He earlier missed from 40 yards.

Tailback Justin Davis left the locker room on crutches, his right foot in a boot. Safety Dion Bailey had his left arm in a sling. Kessler, Rogers and tight ends Xavier Grimble and Randall Telfer all limped toward the team bus with seemingly minor injuries.

Lee, who missed last week’s game against Arizona with a knee sprain, started against Notre Dame but didn’t play in the second half. Lee said he “re-tweaked” the knee but, after the game, he walked without a noticeable limp. He said interim Coach Ed Orgeron held him out for precautionary reasons.

“I could have played,” Lee said. “I told him I was (able to play), and he refused.”